Avatar: The Last Airbender
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Trade score 5 (100%)
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Registered: 21-Feb-2012 00:23
Posts: 15
Trying to get some feedback on a Simic deck I put together for casual play that I want to use during FNM and Game Day. I'm just starting with deck building. So, any feedback or help I can get would be great!

Lands:
1 Alchemist's Refuge
2 Breeding Pool
10 Forest
1 Hinterland Harbor
9 Island
1 Simic Guildgate

Main Deck:
2 Bioshift
4 Cloudfin Raptor
4 Mutant's Prey
1 Biomass Mutation
3 Murmuring Phantasm
3 Runner's Bane
4 Shambleshark
3 Strangleroot Geist
3 Battering Krasis
4 Elusive Krasis
4 Give // Take
3 Vorel of the Hull Clade
2 Master Biomancer
1 Leyline Phantom
1 Prime Speaker Zegana
Trade score 226 (99%)
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Registered: 28-Aug-2011 18:06
Posts: 745
You might look into incorporating some of the green flash cards. Yeva, wolfir avenger. Predator ooze can be mean with things like pit fight and nightshade peddler.

You could alternately try for a simic aggro, cloudfin, exp 1, shark, gyre sage, renegade krasis. Just evolve creatures until they get to big to handle.

You're going to struggle with the more competative decks with the current deck you have.
Trade score 63 (100%)
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Registered: 05-Feb-2012 00:21
Posts: 1406
I had tinkered with the idea of a competitive BUG evolve build a while back. It's a bit gimmicky, but if you want to give it a look you can see it here: http://deckbox.org/sets/299659

The addition of black to the mix gives you a LOT of added options that you will often find yourself wishing you had. For instance, spot removal. Sure Rapid Hybridization is nice, but you will have trouble against creature-centric decks without some way to reliably pick them off. Additionally, given the importance on keeping your creatures on the board, making something like Golgari Charm to bail you out against a Supreme Verdict available is critical.

Beyond that, the curve pretty much builds itself. T1: Arbor Elf; T2: Farseek; T3: Master Biomancer; T4: Corpsejack Menace (he would get 4 +1/+1 counters); T5: Thragtusk (now a 9/7); T6: Prime Speaker Zegana - huge in epic proportions AND you'll get to draw like 20 cards.
Trade score 5 (100%)
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Registered: 21-Feb-2012 00:23
Posts: 15
Thank you for the replies everyone! It gives me some things to mull over.
Trade score 63 (100%)
Members
Registered: 05-Feb-2012 00:21
Posts: 1406
Keep in mind as elpablo said, it's unlikely that the deck will fare well against the more established builds and strategies, but it could be a lot of fun to play.
Trade score 5 (100%)
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Registered: 21-Feb-2012 00:23
Posts: 15
TyWooOneTime wrote:Keep in mind as elpablo said, it's unlikely that the deck will fare well against the more established builds and strategies, but it could be a lot of fun to play.

Yeah, I don't expect to win it all that's for sure. LOL But, I would like to win some of the games, since I am still kind of learning. Below is an updated deck list. Let me know what you think! :)

1 Alchemist's Refuge
2 Breeding Pool
10 Forest
1 Hinterland Harbor
9 Island
1 Simic Guildgate

3 Cloudfin Raptor
2 Experiment One
4 Gyre Sage
3 Strangleroot Geist
4 Elusive Krasis
3 Vorel of the Hull Clade
2 Master Biomancer
2 Species Gorger
4 Thragtusk
1 Prime Speaker Zegana

4 Gridlock
4 Rapid Hybridization
3 Simic Charm

#63

Sideboard:
4 Fog Bank
4 Cancel
4 Give // Take
3 Vorapede

#15
Trade score 226 (99%)
Members
Registered: 28-Aug-2011 18:06
Posts: 745
I like that list a little better, you might get some interactions with thragtusk and species gorger. Considering you don't' have any real removal you might include pit fight
Trade score 5 (100%)
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Registered: 21-Feb-2012 00:23
Posts: 15
elpablo wrote:I like that list a little better, you might get some interactions with thragtusk and species gorger. Considering you don't' have any real removal you might include pit fight

What do you think I could swap out for those?
Trade score 63 (100%)
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Registered: 05-Feb-2012 00:21
Posts: 1406
Lefiont wrote: What do you think I could swap out for those?

Gridlock strikes me as a solid candidate.
Trade score 5 (100%)
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Registered: 21-Feb-2012 00:23
Posts: 15
TyWooOneTime wrote:
Lefiont wrote: What do you think I could swap out for those?

Gridlock strikes me as a solid candidate.

I tested it with the gridlock, and I agree. I'm swapping that out for pit fight. Thanks! :)
Trade score 226 (99%)
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Registered: 28-Aug-2011 18:06
Posts: 745
I want to share with you a bug aggro deck I was working on it has the potential to win by turn 4, but lacks some consistency to be truly competitive in the current environment. As rotation happens this deck might be a solid tier 2 or 1.5 deck. A friend and I were working on it and it has some good potential, it's just not quite there yet. You're not far from it with what you currently have and it can be extremely fun to play.

Count name
3 Cloudfin Raptor
4 Experiment One
3 Rakdos Cackler
4 Gyre Sage
4 Shambleshark
4 Renegade Krasis
4 Dreg Mangler
4 Corpsejack Menace
2 Duskmantle seer

3 Rancor
3 Simic Charm

4 Breeding Pool
3 Drowned Catacomb
1 Hinterland Harbor
3 Overgrown Tomb
2 Watery Grave
3 Woodland Cemetery
3 Forest
1 Island
2 Swamp

It plays like this. You want to hit evolve every turn with hopefully hitting a corpse jack or dreg mangler on turn 4. Duskmantle seer gives you a measure of "burn" against some decks and helps with card draw. See some sample turns below. Assuming you drop a land each turn.

Turn Play Cumulative Damage
t1 exp1 0
t2 gyr sag 2
t3 ren kras 5
t4 dreg 15
22

t1 rak cak 0
t2 sham 2
t3 dreg 8
t4 corps 9
19

t1 rak cak 0
t2 sham 2
t3 ren kras 5
t4 corps 16
23

t1 rak cak 0
t2 exp, ranc 4
t3 ren kras 6
t4 dusk 14
24

t1 rak cak 0
t2 gyre 2
t3 ren kras 4
t4 dreg 14
20
Trade score 63 (100%)
Members
Registered: 05-Feb-2012 00:21
Posts: 1406
elpablo wrote: Turn Play Cumulative Damage
t1 exp1 0
t2 gyr sag 2
t3 ren kras 5
t4 dreg 15
22

t1 rak cak 0
t2 sham 2
t3 dreg 8
t4 corps 9
19

t1 rak cak 0
t2 sham 2
t3 ren kras 5
t4 corps 16
23

t1 rak cak 0
t2 exp, ranc 4
t3 ren kras 6
t4 dusk 14
24

t1 rak cak 0
t2 gyre 2
t3 ren kras 4
t4 dreg 14
20

This looks good and all, but there are a number of issues.

Before getting into any card suggestions, these are all ideal scenarios that require things to hit PERFECTLY and the opponent not to have any response to kill them T4. Take a look at the better aggro decks out there, they're doing 15-17 damage by the end of T3, making a T4 kill much easier (even achievable with a Searing Spear).

Also, your math appears to be off in several of the scenarios (not to be a picky ass about it, but it can make a difference)

- In the first scenario, T2 you swing with the 2/2 Exp One, but then T3 you would likely be swinging with a 3/3 Exp One and a 2/3 Gyre Sage thanks to the evolve triggers caused by casting Renegade Krasis - that would up the damage to 5 for the turn or a cumulative total of 7. Then with all the triggers, you would be at 15 damage for T4... raising the question, are you reporting the cumulative damage or the damage dealt that turn?

- In the second scenario, Rakdos Cackler into Shambleshark is going to require at least one shock and a perfect hit with your mana (which I don't know that you'll reliably hit given what you have in there).

- In the third scenario, same issue with the mana.

- In the fourth scenario, this seems a more likely sequence, but you're coming up at EXACTLY 20 on T4 (I know that the Seer would do added damage to them the next turn, to which I reference my comment about the card suggestions below). Not a lot would have to go wrong here for this to come up short.

Now for some specific card suggestions:

First, Gyre Sage is more ideal if you're trying to drop something bigger or casting spells with X's in their cost, i.e., Clan Defiance. Additionally, it's another ground and pound creature... so why not toss in something with evasion like Elusive Krasis - if anything, I'd actually swap Renegade Krasis and Gyre Sage for Elusive Krasis and potentially Drakewing Krasis. It ups your curve by one for one creature, but it is more likely to get damage through with the added evasion. Additionally, both those creatures are almost guaranteed evolve triggers (I know the Renegade's added pump is promising, but you're still clogged up on the ground AND it's unlikely to trigger more than maybe once in a game). If you're still sold on a two-drop aggressive creature, Gore-House Chainwalker, Strangleroot Geist, and Rakdos Shred-Freak all have some promise.

Second, given that practically none of your creatures have haste, you're unlikely to score the consistent T4 wins that more aggro-centric decks can pull off. As such, you need more of a backup plan. Personally I'd suggest dropping the Corpsejack Menaces (believe me, I wanted them to be good too) in favor of Deadbridge Goliaths, Desecration Demons, or even just filling out the full set of Duskmantle Seers. The Goliaths and Demons will provide larger threats (the latter with evasion and possible multiple instances of removal) and the Seer offers evasion AND the possibility of pinging the opponent each turn, which, if you've already hit them for 10-15 damage, can be the difference between winning and losing.

As another note, some Golgari Charms should be SB for this, as they can offer a variety of additional options (protection from board wipes or wiping out chump blockers (spirit tokens).

Alternately, and this would be my suggestion, change the deck colors. I know black is promising and lets you access the Dreg Manglers and Corpsejacks, but red is easily a much better aggro color. You would be able to play Stomping Ground for Flinthoof Boar, Mogg Flunkies and a variety of other favorable aggro cards, i.e., Ghor-Clan Rampager, Lightning Mauler and Burning-Tree Emissary.

Think of the T1 Steam Vents or Breeding Pool into Cloudfin Raptor, T2 Stomping Ground into Burning-Tree Emissary that also drops Flinthoof Boar. Now you're sitting on a 2/3 flyer, a 2/2, and a 3/3 all on turn 2. T3 could be a variety of plays from that point. There's even room for Ral Zarek in that deck if you like and the SB can contain more mid-range cards in case you have to make the switch between games for a more favorable matchup.

Anyway, those are just some thoughts. Not trying to rain on your parade but it's easy to think an aggro deck will steamroll when, in reality, there are a LOT of speedbumps. As an example, I can point you toward a RDW build that can potentially win on T3, but that actually typically loses to better decks. Think through and feel free to take or leave any of my suggestions and best luck with it.
Trade score 226 (99%)
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Registered: 28-Aug-2011 18:06
Posts: 745
I appreciate the thoughtful evaluation. I fully admit it has problems. It can be inconsistent which is the last thing you want in a tournament deck. I was suggesting it to the OP as a potential alternative to what he was building, since he has some of the cards anyway. It can be fun to play when it "goes off". We tested quite a bit with it (we really want it to be a "deck"),but it's just not. You talk about changing colors. Which is really the "competitive choice" really, dropping blue all together is the way to go when talking about aggro and competitive. You want to be in Red with some measure of white green or black.

The damage was per turn, then a total at the bottom. The copy/paste from excel didn't capture it properly. My math might be off in a place or two, but it's generally correct after looking at them figures again.

Back to this janky bug aggro deck. :)

Our goal was to build a deck that was bug, that was aggro, and that used gyre sage. You might be suprised that we took it to a few FNMs and it went 3-2 all 3 times. In a competitive environment with top tier decks. I piloted it only once, and it usually won on turn 5-6 when it did when. And when it didn't, it was pretty bad. :P

Gyre sage is a card in the deck and can make it easier to play into some of the other cards, the deck runs a mana hungry base and the small amount of ramp sage provides can be helpful. The thing we noticed about the deck while playing it is, it's not always out of range if it doesn't win early on. Corpse jack (which is important to the aggro component of the deck) and dusk mantle have good bodies and evolve can provide for some larger creatures even on later turns.
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